Adafruit
HDMI 4 Pi: 5 Display (no Touch) w/Mini Driver - 800x480 HDMI
Yes, this is a cute little 5" TFT display with WVGA 800x480 resolution and a cute little driver board. We tried to get the smallest display that would be ...
Yes, this is a cute little 5" TFT display with WVGA 800x480 resolution and a cute little driver board. We tried to get the smallest display that would be good for embedded computing usage and at a good price. And we also tried to match it with a small driver board that can be powered from a USB port. The visible display measures 5" diagonal and is a 'raw' TTL display as is used in portable electronics. The driver board only has an HDMI input but for Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black and other computers, HDMI is the best quality output available. The display is very easy to use - simply connect the USB power cable to 5V power supply that can provide 500mA, then connect a digital video source to one of the HDMI port. Voila, a display!
It is not an IPS display so its best for direct viewing, our 7" and 10" HDMI IPS displays are designed for any angle view.
There's a little wired PCB with little buttons that let you enter a menu system for adjusting brightness, color and contrast. It tries to auto-detect which input you have and switches to that one or you can 'select' from the menu keypad which to display.
To demonstrate it, we took some photos with the display connected to a Raspberry Pi, but it will also work connected to any device with HDMI output.
For use with a Raspberry Pi we suggest editing config.txt to set the HDMI to 800x480 in case it doesn't detect the resolution properly. You can see our suggested config.txt in the Technical details tab. The easiest way to edit the config.txt is to put the Pi SD card into an every day computer and edit config.txt with any text editor and save. For use with a Beagle Bone Black, we found it works when plugged in, no configuration required.
We show the TFT above on a wire stand, which is not included. You can pick up one of these nice stands over here. If you want to extend the FPC cable between the driver and the TFT, you can grab a 10" long cable and swap it for the 4" one included.
A power adapter is not included or required! Use a 500mA-capable 5V USB port or you can cut the USB power cable and re-wire to another 5V source.
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- FPC
- FPC stands for flexible printed circuit, a flat flexible cable or connector style often used where space is tight. It matters because this breakout needs the correct pin count and pitch FPC cable to connect reliably to the display or high-speed interface.
- HDMI
- HDMI is a common digital video and audio connection used by computers, media players, and many displays. If a display kit has HDMI input, it is usually much easier to test with a single-board computer because it can act like a normal monitor.
- IPS
- IPS is a type of LCD panel that keeps colours and contrast more consistent when viewed from an angle. This matters for small displays that may be mounted in a dashboard, handheld project, or enclosure where the viewer is not always looking straight on.
- PCB
- A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
- TFT
- A thin-film transistor display is a common type of colour LCD used for graphics screens. Knowing a product is for TFTs helps you check that the driver board matches the display’s connector, resolution, backlight, and signalling method.
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